The profile of the international cooperation university manager in Brazil

Abstract

The concept of internationalization has been used in higher education as a measure of quality and resource for universities to respond to the challenges of a complex global context. Despite the dominant discourse that internationalization has transformed university structures, there are few studies that deal with internationalization management in academic institutions and international cooperation university managers. This paper contributes to the beginning of this discussion in Brazil by studying international cooperation managers of Brazilian federal universities. The sample included 46 universities associated with the Brazilian Association of International Education (Faubai). Documentary research was carried out using the websites of the offices for international affairs and the Lattes curriculums of their managers. The results point to positive aspects, such as the positioning of these offices in university structures and the personal experience of current managers with international activities. They also indicated problems such as the turnover of managers; accumulation of tasks; education in areas not related to internationalization; and a lack of participation in education programs related to their responsibilities. In general, the scenario shows a need for investments in these universities so that institutional internationalization is more active.

Keywords

• internacionalização
• cooperação internacional
• educação superior
• gestão universitária
• competências.